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If you are on the journey to eating healthy and losing weight, you may want to re-evaluate the type of sweetener you are using.

A research team at Princeton University recently conducted a lab experiment involving high-fructose corn syrup and table sugar. In their lab experiment, they examined the weight gain of two groups of rats; one with access to high-fructose corn syrup and one with access to table sugar.

Rats with access to high-fructose syrup gained significantly more weight, even though their overall caloric intake was the same. The researchers added that long-term consumption of high-fructose corn syrup by animals in the study led to higher levels of body fat and a rise in triglyceride levels.

“Some people have claimed that high-fructose corn syrup is no different than other sweeteners when it comes to weight gain and obesity, but our results make it clear that this just isn’t true, at least under the conditions of our tests,” psychology professor Bart Hoebel says.

High-fructose corn syrup was first introduced in the United States in the ‘70s as a cost effective sweetener. Since its introduction, the rate of obesity has skyrocketed according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 1970, around 15 percent of the U.S. population met the definition for obesity; today, roughly one-third of the population is considered obese, the CDC reported.

By the end of the experiment, researchers found evidence to support the theory that excessive consumption of high-fructose corn syrup, found in many beverages, is an important factor in obesity.

By regulating the amount of sugar and other sweeteners one consumes, people can decrease their likelihood of getting diabetes or other chronic conditions like heart disease or hypertension.

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